Maybe related to this? https://gizmodo.com/the-faa-is-rolling-out-its-ai-air-traffi...

Doubtful. That tool likely suggests "improved" clearances, which a controller can use at their discretion. It likely does not control clearances directly.

And the early reports describe the issue as related to ATC communication infrastructure.

No. A route planning tool, AI or not, couldn't possibly cause this.

Oh man. It would be such a perfect encapsulation of these times. If not related, then truly cursed launch/PR timing.

It looks like the FAA started testing it in DC in September and annouced a nationwide rollout three days ago (https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/statements/general-statements). This makes it seem more unlikely to be the cause, though:

  A team of FAA specialists in the SMART center in Washington, D.C., analyzes and validates the SMART data and provides scheduling recommendations to the agency’s Air Traffic Control System Command Center in Warrenton, VA. The Command Center then routes these recommendations to air traffic control facilities for local leadership to consider.